Concrete-conveyer.



I '1. E. HODGLO. CONCRETE CONVEYE R. APPLICATION HLED JAN. 8,1916.

Patented. Dec. 19, 1916.

- veyers of the gravity type, in which the.

- veyers,

JESSE E. HODGES, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CONCRETE-CONVEYEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 8, 1916. Serial No. 71,072

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE E. Honons, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete-Conofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in concrete conveyors andparticularly to conliquid concrete is elevated on a tower and pouredinto a tank, which communicates with the end of a pipe or trough throughwhich it flows t0 the lower end, where itis discharged onto the moldingform work.

An object of my invention is to produce a golncrete conveyer which hasgreater durai ty lapse than other structures known to me, but which hasthe necessary flexibility, both vertically and horizontally.

A further object is to produce a concrete conveyer which is capable ofmore rapid ad:

justment to accommodate it to the building as the construction thereofproceeds, and to secure increased elevation and proper inclination ofthe conveyer troughs without delaying the construction operations.

A further object is to produce a conveyr in which the discharge end ofthe troughs may be moved about to deposit the liquid concrete on theform work wherever desired, without danger of stopping the flow ofconcrete.

Figure lis a side elevation of a conveyer embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentalview of the lower front ortion of the tower tank, with a portion 0 theupper end of the conveyer trough in position to receive concretetherefrom. Fig. 4 is a fragmentalsectional view of a joint betweenadjacent trough sections. A

The conveyer embodying my invention consists of a tower tank 5 securedto a frame 6 which is adjustably mounted on the tower 7 through whichthe concrete is lifted to be poured into the tank, a conveyor trough 8consistingof a series of sections 9, 10 and 11, communicating with oneanother at their ends, and means 12, 13 and 14 for support{ ing thetrough sections, the means 12 being suitably secured to the adjustableframe 6 and cooperating therewith in the-manner to be hereinafterdescribed. Each trough secwhich is less liable to burst or col-- tionconsists of a sheet of met-a1 15 bent to form the body having a curvedbottom to passage for the concrete through. The upper end 16 provide aneasy flowing thereof each section of the trough is closed as shown inFigs.,3

and 4, so that the concrete camiot be acciportion of the trough andPatented Dec. 19, 1916.

dentally discharged from this end should it be poured too violently intothis trough section and at the lower end of each section a dischargespout 17 is provided, so. that the concrete may be discharged directlyinto the upper end of the trough section located beneath it. For a shortdistance from the upper end 'of each section I provide a cover plate 18to prevent the concrete splashing from the trough of each section as itis poured into it, and at the lower end of each section a cover plate19'which extends a short. distance from the lower end, is provided forpreventing the concrete from overflowing the trough before it flows fromthe spout 17. To further prevent the concrete splashing or becomingaccidentally discharged from the spout 17, without having passeddirectly into the upper end of the trough section beneath it, I providea flange v20 constituting a short pipe section secured as to preventtheir collapse, I have provided flanges 21 and trusses 22. The flanges21 extend along each side of the trough and around itsends, while thetrusses are arranged in bridge like construction'beneath each section ofthe trough. These trusses consist of bars 23 supported at points be--tween their ends by struts 24 and secured at their ends by nuts 25bearing against angle plates 26 secured to the sides of the ends of eachsection of the trough. In order to secure adjacent sections together, Ipreferably pass bolts 27, see Fig. 4, through the center of the spout 17and pipe section 20, through the plate 19 of each superimposed lower endof each trough section and through the bottom of the upper end of thesection beneath. By means of a key 28 passed through the lower end ofeach bolt beneath the lower trough section, and by means of the bolthead 29 bearing against a reinforcing angle plate 30 at the upper end ofthe bolt, the sections are secured together in a manner such that theymaybe moved angularly, both vertically and horizontally with oneanother. The upper end of the top sect-ion of the trough is constructedsomewhat different from the upper end of the other sections,'in thatinstead of the short pipe section 20, a hopper 31 is provided to receivethe discharge of concrete from the nozzle 32.of the tower tank 5. A lip33 is provided on the hopper at its front edge to prevent the concretesplashing over the edge .of the hopper. The end of the nozzle 32 ispreferably closed by a cap 34 to regulate the discharge of concrete fromthe tower tank, the cap being so mounted as to be capable of adjustmentto regulate the degree of open-' ing in the nozzle.

In order to secure the hopper end of the upper section 9 of the troughin position, a means similar to the means for securing the othersections together, is employed. This means consists of an elongated bolt35 extending through the tower tank, through the nozzle 32, the hopper31 and the bottom of the upper section 9 of the trough. Suitable meanssuch as a nut 36 and block 37 are employed for retaining the upper endof the upper section in position, the headed upper end of the boltbearing against a beam extending transversely of the tank.

The means for supporting the joined trough sections consists of awheeledtruck 14 upon which the lower end of the lower section of the trough issupported, and

which is adapted to be rolled about upon the supporting form work of thebuilding to direct the stream of concrete issuing from the discharge end38 to the point desired. Supporting the joined ends of the sections 16and 11 is another wheeled truck 13 consisting of support members 39arranged in the form of a tripod and adapted to support blocks andtackle 40 suspended from the apex of the tripod and having a sling 41embracing the lower end of the section 10 of the trough. By this meansthe joined sections may-be raised or lowered at this point to .adjustthe inclination of-the sections The means for supporting the joined endsof the' sections 9 and 10 consist of a boom 12 pivotally mounted at itslower end on a cross bar 42 of the adjustable frame 6 and having at itsupper end a block and tackle 43 with a sling 44 embracing the lower endof the upper section 9 of the trough and adapted to raise and lowerthem( In order to adjust the angular position of the boom with'relationto the tower, blocks and tackle 45 are employed, the u per block beingsecured to a cross bar 46 o the adjustable frame 6.

The tank is constructed upon the adjustable frame 6 which consists oftwo vertically extending side members 47 and 48, preferably of channeliron of a size adapted to permitthe corner posts 49 and 50 of theneeaeea tower occupying the channels of the members. These side membersare connected at the top and bottom by transversely extending bars 46and 42 and at the point where the tank 5 is attached. The constructionis such as to permit of the frame thus constructed, being moved bodilyup or down the front posts49 and 50 of the tow 'r; the posts formingtracks for the vchanne iron side members 47 and 48. In order to securethe frame and'consequently the tank and its connected trough section 9in adjusted p0sitions on the tower, I have provided clamps 51, 52, 53and 54, each clamp consisting of U-shaped straps 55 embracing each ofthe front posts of the tower and engaging the sides of the channel ironframe members.

The ends of each strap are connected by a bolt 56. upon which a clampdog 57 is reciprocally mounted. These clamps are preferably located atpoints at the top and bottom of each side channel iron and at pointsimmediately above and below the tower tank 5, so that each channel ironmaybe clamped rigidly to its tower post. The clamp dogs are madeeccentrically, that is the clamping surface 50 of each dog is eccentricto the pivotal point thereof, so that when the dog is driven in onedirection it will clamp the channel iron members to the corner posts ofthe tower and when driven in the other direction it will release thechannel iron members and permit them to be adjusted up or down the towerposts.- Because of the connection of the boom at the bottom of theadjustable frame 6, and its connection at the top thereof, it and itsconnected trough section 9 together with the upper end of the troughsection 10 will be raised or lowered as the tower tank mounting frame 6is raised or lowered. To accommodate the remainder of the trough to suchraising or lowering of the upper section 9 and upper end of section 10of the trough, block and tackle 40 of the tripod 13 have been provided.This permits of all of the trough sections being adjusted tosubstantially the same inclination so that the concrete will flow justas freely through onesection as it will through another section.Anymeans usually employed for raising the concrete to the tower tank andfor emptying it into the tank may be employed, the usual means being an.elevator carrying buckets which are tripped adjacent to the tank inorder to empty the concrete into it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A. concrete conveyer comprising a tank for concrete, a tower adaptedto support the tank, means for adjustably mounting the tank on thetower, 'a series of trough sections pivotally connected together, and

means carried wholly by the first mentioned means, adapted to adjust thesections vertically and to permit horizontal movement thereof to deliverconcrete to the points desired.

2. In a concrete conveyer the combination of atank for concrete, atower, a frame supporting the tank, clamps for adjustably securing theframe in position on the tower, a trough comprising a series of sectionspivotally connected together and adapted to conduct the concrete fromthe tank to the place Where it is to be used, and adjustable meanscarried wholly by the frame for supporting the trough sections.

3. A concrete conveyer comprising a tank for concrete, a tower, a frameadapted to mount the tank, clamps for adjustably securing the frame tothe tower, atrough comprising 'a series of sections pivotally connectedtogether, and adjustable means consisting ofa boom pivotally connectedwith the ,frame, blocks and tackle connecting the frame and the boom,and the boom and certain of saidtrough sections.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day ofJ anuary,1915.

. I JESSE E. HODGES.

Witnesses:

'WAL'rnR F. MURRAY, W. THORNTON BOGERT.

